A sudden poisonous gas gush in a coal mine in northeast China's Liaoning Province killed 15 miners Saturday afternoon.  

An unidentified gas gushed out suddenly at an operation platform of the Xilutian Mine of Fushun Coal Industry Corp. in Fushun City at 2:55 PM Saturday when 50 miners were working underground 400 meters to the mine entrance, said Li Sen, an executive with the company.

Li said 15 miners died instantly and other 35 managed to come to the ground safely.

The coal mine has 5,700 workers.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2004)